Wednesday, December 14, 2011

BREAST CANCER SIGNS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT

Breast cancer is one of the most physically and emotionally taxing diseases. It is one of the leading causes of death for women and the number of women diagnosed with this disease is growing alarmingly.


The cause of this disease is varied and many; ranging from a persons lifestyle to environmental factors to their family history. Simple things like the food they eat, the alcohol in their body, pollution, dense breasts and obesity are contributing factors to cancer of the breast. At least 7% of the women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are under the age of 40, say leading breast cancer doctors.


If breast cancer treatments are provided at an early stage, the risk of the disease can be reduced drastically. But because people often fail to detect the cancer until it had reached an advanced stage, this becomes difficult. Here are some of the most common breast cancer signs that you must know.
  • Breast cancer can cause your breast to change in regards to texture and color. His symptom is the easiest to detect as it is the most visible. One may notice some color changes in patches or the entire breast may change color. Usually the breast turns pink or red. It may even turn orange in color if there has been some scarring. Texture of the breast may also change. Some areas may feel marble-like under the skin. There may also be some indentation or flattening on the breast. This symptom is useful to detect tumors which can’t be seen or felt.
  • Lumps are one of the most common symptoms of breast cancer. Breast cancer lumps are usually painless. Although they may cause slight tenderness and irritation near the area of the lump. Lumps usually form near the breast or in the armpit. They are thickenings which are usually pea-sized. But not all women can recognize a lump of breast cancer; this is where a mammogram comes in. A mammogram is very helpful in detecting such lumps before a person can even feel it.
  • Cancer of the breast may also cause the size of the breast to increase or decrease. This means that some women will notice their breast size increasing, while some others will see it decreasing. This differs from person to person. One may even notice certain areas of the breast that differ distinctly from the rest of the breast. The size changes very gradually because of which one rarely notices it until the change is huge.
  • Another sign of breast cancer is the changes occurring in the nipple. Discharge, either of clear fluid or blood, is a common symptom of breast cancer. Breast cancer doctors say that changes in nipples are one of the initial signs of cancer of the breast. They might turn reddish in color. It may cause irritation and pain in the nipple. The nipple may even look indrawn or have a dimpled look.

If you suspect any of these symptoms in your body, you must immediately get the required tests done. Breast cancer treatments can be more effective when one is more aware of the disease.

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